


Quirks

by Anyawen



Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: 007 Fest 2020, Don't copy to another site, Established Relationship, M/M, Moving In Together, Superstition, team00
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:28:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25230886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anyawen/pseuds/Anyawen
Summary: Bond has habits. Q doesn’t mind.
Relationships: James Bond/Q
Comments: 9
Kudos: 66





	Quirks

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: fills 2020 classic table prompts ‘Newspaper’ and ‘superstitious!Bond’

“Are you … smudging?”

James didn’t quite jump at Q’s question.

“I am.”

“That’s not sage,” Q observed. “Smells better. What is it?”

“Palo Santo. Alejandro’s mother gave it to me before I left Quito. She said I’d need it,” James answered. “I wondered why she thought so, but, it’s meant to cleanse a space, and ward off evil—”

“And you thought it’d be a good idea to smudge our new flat,” Q said with a smile.

“Given the work we do, anything that keeps evil away seems worth doing,” James replied, clearly fighting not to sound defensive.

“Agreed,” Q said, leaning into James’ space and tipping his head up to steal a kiss.

“You don’t mind?” James asked, holding the hot end of the stick clear of Q as his other arm snaked out to wrap around Q’s back.

“I don’t mind,” Q agreed, running a hand up over Bond’s chest. “I don’t mind the smudging. I don’t mind knocking on wood. I don’t mind leaving out dishes of milk - out of reach of the cats, of course. I don’t mind that you pulverize eggshells after you’ve cracked them. I don’t mind that you read the horoscopes. I don’t mind that you toss salt over your shoulder. The world is filled with awful, ugly things, and we fight them every day. Any bit of help the universe wants to send our way, through smoke or salt or wood, I will gladly take. And even if it doesn’t bring us luck or health or good fortune, I don’t mind anything that helps you face the ugly things out there.”

James looked surprised.

“I do all those things?” he asked. “I hadn’t really thought about it. The thing with the eggshells is just habit.”

“From the Navy, I know.”

“And I read the whole paper, not just the horoscopes.”

“I know that, too.”

“And I clean up the salt, and the milk.”

“Which is much appreciated,” Q said with a smile.

“You really don’t mind?” James said, gesturing vaguely with the smoking bit of Palo Santo in his hand.

“I really don’t. Now, come on. Get the smudging finished so you can come have lunch before the movers arrive. The Chinese I ordered should be here any minute, and you’ll want first pick of the fortune cookies.”

“You really do love me, don’t you?”

“Idiot,” Q said, stealing another kiss before moving away. “I’ll warn you now, though,” he said over his shoulder as he left James to his smudging, “your fortune can say anything it likes, but your future holds a lot of boxes and shifting of furniture. The bed _will_ be set up tonight.”


End file.
